The Engagement Ring
by CCangel
Summary: Robin thought proposing to Regina would be easy. He learns even the best plans don't always work out. Outlaw Queen/Swanfire.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Things had a way of sneaking up on you if you weren't careful. That truth was the story of Robin's life now. Here he was in Storybrooke, a land he never imagined existed. His world had definitely turned upside down but in good ways. The best part of it was that he found love in Regina and Henry.

They managed to worm their way into his heart. Roland was particularly fond of Henry. He chuckled at how close the boys were now. They had become inseparable. He was glad Roland had someone to look up to.

Robin looked up at the clock at Granny's. His partner in crime should be here by now. Another five minutes went by when he felt soft hands cover his eyes.

"Guess who?" a silky voice asked.

He purred. "I would say the queen has made herself known." He heard her giggle. A sound he never got tired of hearing. She let go of him and sat across from him in the booth.

"Sorry I'm late," Regina said. "Our budget meeting ran a little long. How has your morning been?"

"Boring without you," he answered and winked. She laughed at his boyish charm.

"I'm sure it wasn't that boring," Regina said tilting her head to the side. He grabbed her hand bringing it up to his lips.

"Yes it was that boring but seeing you has done my heart wonders," he responded and kissed her knuckles. She retracted her hand and rolled her eyes.

"Flattery will only get you so far," she countered before looking at the menu. She felt his foot going up her leg. She pretended not to be affected by it.

"If you insist on distracting me, it's only fair that I show you the same courtesy when we get home," she said peeking over her menu.

"We still have time," he said. She closed the menu and narrowed her eyes. That smug look that she found adorably infuriating was there.

"No we don't," she clipped. She knew if she was late for another meeting, gossip amongst her co-workers would start again. All they would do was grin at her like idiots. Furthermore, they would stare at Robin a little longer than necessary.

They ordered their lunch. Robin watched her enjoy herself. There was a time when he thought he would never see or hear her laugh. For a long time, she was determined to live in isolation.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked at her confused. "You're staring."

"That's because you're beautiful to look at," he replied smiling. She felt her cheeks reddened. She promptly averted her eyes to hide her embarrassment. He reached across the table and titled her chin up.

"You don't have to be embarrassed," he said. She blushed even harder. Thankfully, the moment was interrupted when Snow came over.

Suddenly Regina remembered her plans with Snow. "Shopping," was all Regina said. They were going to shop for baby clothes.

Snow became aware of what was happening in front of her. "I interrupted lunch."

"It's okay. We were just finishing," Robin interjected. He looked at Regina. "Go."

Regina made her way out the booth and kissed the side of Robin's head. "See you later."

"See you later," he said. He glanced back to see Snow give him a thumbs up. He grinned as she walked out. He turned around satisfied that his plan worked.

He pulled out his phone and called his friend. "It's Robin. I need to see you. Meet me at Granny's."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I've never written for swanfire before so I hope my characterization is okay.

Chapter 2

Neal walked into Granny's and saw where Robin was sitting. He walked over and slid in the booth. "Hey. You wanted to see me."

"Thanks for coming," Robin said. "I'm about to do something and I need your help with it."

Neal leaned in closer. "This sounds serious," he said. "Whatever it is, I'm in."

The two of them had become friends ever since being back in Storybrooke. For Neal, Robin had been a great influence for Henry. He even was instrumental in helping him rekindle things with Emma.

"I'm finally doing it and proposing to Regina," he said. Neal laughed.

"It's about time. I was wondering what took you so long," Neal said. Robin chuckled.

"Yeah well, I expected you to be on one knee proposing to Emma by now. What's taking you so long?" Robin questioned.

"I want to but I'm not sure Emma is ready yet. We haven't talked about it. I'm sure Henry would love for us to be married right now. Wait, did Henry ask you about marrying Regina?"

"It might have come up once or twice. This was completely my decision. These past two years made me realize that I want Regina to remain in my life...in Roland's life. I love her and Henry. I want to make it official."

Neal smirked. "You're alright in my book. Of course Henry will be excited at having the famous Robin Hood as his stepdad. So, what do you need me to do?"

"Hide the ring. I can't have it at home or Regina will find it. Snow and Regina are shopping for baby clothes as we speak. That gives me time to find the perfect ring for her."

"So I guess I'm the best man," Neal said.

"That you are my friend," Robin said. Robin paid for the lunch. They went to the jewely store and immeadiately Robin felt overwhelmed.

Neal patted Robin on the back. "I'm sure whatever you get Regina will be fine. What does she like?"

"Something simple and elegant," he responded.

They spent the next hour looking at rings. Robin finally found the one he felt suited Regina. Once they were outside the store, Robin handed the ring box to Neal.

"I'm proposing this weekend. I'll come by Saturday morning and get it from you. All she has to say is yes. And one more thing, don't tell anyone. I only told Snow that I needed her to keep Regina distracted for a few hours."

"Got it. You can count on me," Neal assured.

Neal arrived to an empty apartment. He put the ring in a box and hid it deep into the corner of the closet. No one was going to find it there.

He heard the door open a few hours and heard Emma was calling his name. He came out the bedroom. He kissed her hello before helping her out of her jacket.

"How was your day?" he asked her.

"Not too bad," Emma said. "Just some noise complaints. Minor stuff."

"Where's Henry?"

"At Regina's. He wanted to spend some time with her," Emma answered. "We have the rest of the day to ourselves. What do you want to do?"

He snaked his arms around Emma bringing her close. "I have an idea."

She let out a laugh as she played with his shirt. "Do you know? What did you have in mind?"

He pretended to think before carrying her over his shoulder. She let out a squeal as Neal carried to the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Friday morning...

Emma lazily got out of bed. Thankfully David was covering the morning shift. She stood up running her fingers through her tangled hair. She walked into the bathroom and saw the post it note on the mirror. She took it down. She laughed as the note read, "Good morning beautiful. I love you."

Neal could really be romantic when he wanted to be. She loved the little things he did for her making her grateful that she chose him. He was truly the love of her life.

Emma took a shower and got dressed. She took her phone off the end table and called Neal.

"Hey," Neal greeted.

"Hey," she replied. "I got your note. It was sweet." She could imagine the grin forming on Neal's face.

"So you liked it?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. Anyway, I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. See you later Emma."

"See you later," she said hanging up the phone. She walked to the closet looking for a pair of shoes. She noticed something out of the ordinary. She creased her eyebrows in confusion as she made out the box.

"What in the world is this?" she wondered aloud. She gasped as she opened it and saw the ring. She stood up taking the ring out. She set the box down on the bed.

Neal got her a ring. An engagement ring. Her heart was beating fast. They hadn't talked about marriage but she knew whenever the time came she would say yes. She let out a shaky breath as she examined it. It was a simple clear cut diamond ring.

She slipped the ring on and it fit perfectly. She couldn't contain her surprise and joy. Then the realization it her that Neal was probably waiting for the right moment to propose. The gesture would have been nice but she didn't really need it.

"You're going to be Mrs. Neal Cassidy," she said. "Emma Cassidy," she repeated to get used to the idea.

Meanwhile, Robin walked into Gold's shop looking for Neal. Neal was behind the counter polishing an item. His head snapped up at the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Hey man," Neal said. "You seem like you could use a break."

Robin chuckled. "After we dropped off Henry and Roland, Snow came over and now she and Regina are admiring all the baby clothes they bought the other day."

Neal smiled. "It couldn't have been that bad." Robin arched his eyebrow causing Neal to laugh harder.

"Just be glad Emma wasn't there," Neal continued. Robin rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, how are things going?"

"Trying to keep everything under wraps is proving difficult but it's coming along," Robin replied. "I take it everything is good on your end."

"Good. I'll get it to you tomorrow morning." Robin said his goodbye and left the shop.

Neal went to the apartment during his lunch break. He opened the door and saw Emma in the kitchen. When she turned around she had a huge smile on her face. She approached him and kissed him with everything she had in her.

"What did I do to deserve that?" he asked. "Not that I'm complaining." She chuckled.

"I can't believe you were actually going to do it. I know we haven't talked about this but I'm so happy. And I know I probably ruined the surprise and I'm sorry. I was just too excited," she said.

"Um, what are we talking about?" he asked confused. She apparently thought he was joking because she merely shook her head and kissed him quickly.

"Nice try Neal. You can stop being coy," she said. He let out a nervous laugh.

"Emma, I really have no idea what you're talking about," he said. She rolled her eyes mockingly and held up her hand.

"This," she said pointing to the ring. She turned her back to him and he paled. How in the world did she find it?

"You found the ring," he said trying to keep his voice even. "When?"

"Earlier this morning. I was looking for some shoes when I came across it," she answered facing him again. She waited for a moment to speak again. "Are you mad I ruined the surprise?"

"Mad…no. Just um, shocked," he answered. He was mentally cursing himself. Emma nodded her head.

"Well, I love it and I love you. I can't wait for us to get married. First, we have to break the news to Henry," she stated.

"Emma, there's something I need to tell you," he said. She had a look in her eyes and he felt guilty. He couldn't crush her.

"We'll tell Henry after school," Neal said. Emma grabbed her jacket and gun before kissing Neal one more time.

"See you later," she said. Neal nodded. As soon as she left Neal started panicking. He had no idea what he was going to do.

That night, all he heard was how happy he and Emma were going to be from Henry. He couldn't contain his excitement and he wanted to tell Snow and David. Neal managed to convince him otherwise. He said he and Emma wanted to tell their parents in person. He figured that would give him enough time to gently break the news to Emma.

However, things would not go to plan. Henry called Regina and told her the news. She laughed a bit at Henry's enthusiasm. A part of her was a little jealous because she thought Robin would have proposed. She hung up the phone and leaned against the headboard.

"Henry?" Robin questioned.

"You'll never guess what Henry just told me. Neal proposed to Emma but technically we're not supposed to know," Regina explained.

Robin tilted his head to the side. "Really?" He guessed Neal got caught up his engagement plans and decided to take the leap of faith for himself.

"Good for them," he said. "Soon it will be us," he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Robin could barely contain himself the next morning. He was too excited to see the look on Regina's face when he proposed tonight. He had the whole day planned. All he had to do was go over to Neal's and get the ring.

He stood in the kitchen doorway and watched as Regina fixed her coffee. She turned around feeling his gaze on her. "What?"

"Nothing. We're going to Granny's in a few. Why not get your coffee there?"

"I like mine better," she shot back. "Where's Roland?"

"He'll be down in a minute," he said. He walked over to her wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I love you. You know that right?" he said.

"Of course I do," she said turning around in his arms. "And I love you. You are one of the best things that ever happened to me." He kissed her before resting his forehead against hers.

"I don't know what I would do without you," he whispered.

"You won't ever have to find out," Regina said. They heard the doorbell ring and Roland screaming that he got the door. They heard Roland yell Henry's name and soon Emma and Neal's.

"I wasn't expecting them this morning," Regina said. Robin followed her into the foyer.

Regina greeted Henry and he went over to Robin and hugged him. Soon Regina and Emma walked into the living room leaving Robin and Neal.

Regina saw the joyous look in Emma's eye and smirked. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"You know….Henry," she responded. "When did he tell you?"

"Last night. I know I'm not supposed to know. Have you told Snow and David yet? Better yet, Rumple?" Regina inquired.

"No, we're telling them at once. It was Neal's idea," Emma said. "I still can't believe he did this although I kind of ruined the surprise. I found the ring early."

Regina snickered. "As always, your timing is impeccable." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I'm happy for you and Neal. I'm sure Henry talked your ears off last night," Regina stated.

Emma laughed. "He did."

"May I see the ring?" Regina asked. She smiled when she saw it. "It's beautiful. You're a lucky girl."

Meanwhile, Neal was panicking again. "Robin, there's something I need to tell you. I haven't even told Emma yet. She was busy all morning."

Robin crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't have to ask. I'll be your best man. Although, I must admit it feels like you were trying to upstage me."

Neal rubbed the back of his head. "That's definitely not what I was trying to do. It's about-

"Robin," Regina called out. "Would you mind if Emma and Neal eat breakfast with us?"

"Of course not," Robin said. He looked at Emma. "Congratulations to the both of you."

"Thanks," Emma said.

"May I see the ring?" Robin asked.

"Um, that's not really…" Neal started to say. Emma nudged him in the stomach.

"Modest all of the sudden," Emma joked. She showed Robin the ring and Neal knew he was a dead man.

"The ring is lovely," Robin said. "You deserve it."

"Thanks again," she said. "I guess we need to go get the boys."

"I'll get them," Neal offered.

"Nope. We got it," Regina said much to Neal's chagrin. The moment they disappeared Robin rounded on Neal with a death glare.

"I can explain," Neal said.

"Explain how my soon-to-be fiancé's ring ended up on your girlfriend's finger," he said dangerously low.

Neal sighed. "She found it. I swear I thought I hid it where she wouldn't find it. I mean she was so excited and I didn't have the heart to crush her."

Robin growled a bit. "I can crush it for you. You had one job. What kind of best man are you?"

"I know. I know. I suck as the best man," Neal said. "I'm trying to do this without breaking Emma's heart. She hasn't taken that ring off yet."

"Think of something," Robin said. Neal huffed.

"Unless I saw it off, Emma isn't going to part with it." He saw the wheels turning in Robin's head. "Really? You expect to mutilate my fiancé."

Robin sighed. "No. Just fix this."

They heard voices and pretended like everything was okay. Minutes later, they were at Granny's. Neal could feel the intense glares coming from Robin. Everyone else was completely oblivious to the underline tension between the two.

Emma broke the silence while the others were still eating. "Can I ask a favor? Do you mind keeping Henry while we go tell our folks?"

"Sure," Regina said before Robin could protest. "It's not a problem."

"It's settled then," Emma said. She leaned her head on Neal's shoulder.

Neal briefly looked at Robin who was seething. "Yep, I'm going to die," Neal thought.

After breakfast, Emma called their parents. They agreed to meet at Snow and David's apartment. All of them were waiting for Emma or Neal to say something. Emma took the lead. She held Neal's hand and announced they were engaged.

Snow and Belle were the first to bombard Emma and pull her away from Neal. The rest of the time was a complete blur.

Regina could tell Robin was agitated but she couldn't put her finger on it. She went up to their bedroom and found him with his head in his hands.

"Robin," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Headache," he said still agitated. She squatted down in front of him.

"Lie down. Maybe sleep will help you," Regina suggested.

"Not really," he muttered.

"Tell me what you need then," Regina said.

He looked at her. "I'll be fine. I'll try sleeping." Regina gave him one more look before walking out the bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Neal and Emma were back in their apartment and he knew he was on a deadline. He figured Robin was thinking of all the ways he could get away with murder. He saw Emma about to turn on the tv when he called her name.

"We need to talk," Neal said. "It's about the ring."

A curious expression formed on her face. "Okay," she said slowly. She gave him her full attention.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I didn't know you were going to find it so soon and I didn't have to heart to tell you. I didn't want to see the disappointed look in your eyes," he said which caused her worry to set in.

"The ring-

He stopped when Emma's phone rang. She groaned before answering the call. "Sheriff Swan," she answered. It was a call about a break in. She hung up the phone.

"So much for relaxing today," she muttered. She faced Neal again. "Can we finish this later?"

"Yeah," he said.

It took Emma an hour along with to sort the situation out. It turned out that somebody was playing a prank on a neighbor. She was about to head to the vehicle when she heard the familiar sound of heels clicking against the pavement.

"Ms. Swan, I trust this situation has been rectified," Regina said.

"Back to the mayoral voice," Emma replied.

Regina scoffed. "As long as you work for me, yes."

"Anyway, the situation has been resolved. It was a stupid prank," Emma replied. "How did you know about this break in anyway?"

"Do I really need to remind you that I still have eyes everywhere in this town?" Regina questioned.

"No you don't," Emma shot back. She proceeded to head to her vehicle again when Regina noticed something.

"Is everything alright?" Regina asked.

"Neal," she said. "I think I'm going to get him an engagement present. I think he really is upset that I found it early. He said he didn't want to disappoint me."

Regina stifled a laugh. Emma growled a little.

"It's not funny," she hissed.

"Like I said, your timing is impeccable," Regina replied. "If you need someone to help you, I'm willing."

Emma tilted her head to the side. "Robin really has changed you. I remember a time when you wanted to kill me…repeatedly."

"Keep being annoying and I'll have to rethink my decision on allowing you to live," she said in her evil queen voice.

"Whatever," Emma said. "Come on."

They arrived at the jewelry store and Emma went immediately for the watches. She briefly thought about the past but shook herself out of those thoughts. Regina followed her and started looking as well.

A voice startled them. They looked up from the glass case to see the jeweler waiting on them and also looking at Emma's finger.

"I just sold that ring to a fellow a few days ago. He and his friend were shopping for it. He looked kind of overwhelmed."

Emma laughed. Neal would have some trouble shopping for rings. The jeweler went on to say, "Luckily his friend was able to calm him down."

Regina smirked. "What did these two men look like?"

"Both had brownish hair. Medium build. I distinctively remember the one with the accent. He was the one who felt overwhelmed."

Their eye widened at that statement. "I'm sorry," Regina said confused.

The jeweler took a minute to think. "Yes, I recall them looking for an hour for the ring. I believe a Robin was mentioned." He turned his attention back to Emma. "I take it you are the lucky woman."

"That I am," she said trying to keep the sudden anger out of her voice. She didn't say another word and walked out the store.

Regina gave the jeweler an awkward smile and walked out. Emma was pacing with her hands on her hips. She was muttering.

"Emma," she called out.

"I'm going to kill him," Emma snapped. "He let me believe this stupid ring was mine," she continued. She held her forehead. "I just announced I'm engaged."

"First off, I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation why this happened," Regina said trying to be the friend. Emma narrowed her eyes at her. "Although I can't think of one right now. Secondly, you're wearing my engagement ring."

Emma let a low growl rumble in her throat. "I know." She took it off and handed it to Regina. "Congratulations."

Regina suppressed her joy. She couldn't rub in Emma's face. "What are you going to do?" Regina asked.

"I don't know," Emma said.

An idea popped in Regina's head. "How about we have a little fun?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Neal! Neal!" Emma shouted distressed. Neal came running out of the bedroom to see her looking quite nervous.

"Em, what's wrong?" he questioned on the verge of sounding distressed himself.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it," she said her voice breaking.

Neal tilted his head to the side. "You didn't mean to lose what?"

She held up her hand. "I lost it. I was handling a case and I put my ring somewhere and now I can't find it. I didn't want it to get scratched up. I haven't had it for a week."

She watched as Neal's face paled and she wanted to smirk and laugh. Then slap him in the face. Neal's eyes were going back and forth as if she grew a head. He brought her over to couch and sat next to her. "Neal, I'm sorry."

He bit his lip. "It's not your fault," he said trying to keep his voice even. "Maybe you left it in the car. I'll go look." He didn't give Emma a chance to argue whatever point she was going to make. He grabbed the keys from her and rushed to the vehicle.

Emma quickly pulled out her phone and called Regina.

"Emma," Regina greeted. "Is it working?"

"It is. He's freaking out. Trust me I wanted to laugh in his face and then hit him. How are things going on your end?"

"I'll let you know later," she said as she was putting her key in the front door. She hung up. She walked in and yelled for Robin. She heard him shuffling his feet upstairs. She put on her best scowl and began to pace.

Robin came downstairs perplexed and worried when he saw Regina pacing and muttering to herself. "Regina," he called out.

She stopped and slowly smirked before resuming her former facial expression. "I can't do this anymore. I've waited long enough. I thought I could handle this. Seeing Emma and Neal just put things in perspective."

"Regina, what are you going on about?"

"Two years and we're not married. I thought you would have proposed by now but I was wrong. I am not going to wait for something that's not going to happen," she continued crossing her arms over her chest.

Robin narrowed his eyes. "You came to this conclusion when?"

"The night Henry called. I admit that I was jealous of them. I thought I could celebrate their stupid engagement and push down my feelings but that's not the case. Like I said I'm not waiting any longer. I can't be with someone who refuses to make our relationship official."

"Regina…I-

She shook her head cutting him off. "I don't want to hear your excuses." She brushed past him and marched up the stairs.

He heard the bedroom slam and the lock click. He started to call her name but knew she wouldn't come out. She was going to make him suffer with the silent treatment.

Robin felt another headache coming on. None of this was going to right and he still had to get the ring back from Neal. He could throttle Neal for his blunder.

He searched his pockets for his cell before remembering it was upstairs. He went to bedroom and knocked on the door. "Regina, I need to come in." A minute went by before he heard the door unlock. He went in to see her on the bed with a book.

She looked out of her peripheral vision to see Robin grabbing his cell figuring he was going to call his partner in crime. She pretended not to notice Robin coming toward her. He removed the book and grabbed her hand.

"I am committed to us," he said. She removed her hand and grabbed the book ignoring him. He let out a frustrated sigh and walked out the bedroom.

When Regina felt it was safe, she quietly cracked the door opened. Robin was on his way out the door. Regina chuckled to herself.

"Mom," a voice interrupted.

"Henry," she said.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "I heard you yelling. Roland came into my room."

Her eyes softened a bit. "No Henry. Nothing is wrong."

He arched an eyebrow not quite believing her but didn't push it. "Okay," he said. "I'll tell Roland that everything is okay."

Meanwhile, Neal was letting out a string of curses. How in the world could Emma lose the ring? He should have never agreed to hide the ring in the first place. This was going to be the last time he would be the best man for anything.

His phone rang and it was Robin. He stared at the name debating whether to answer it. "Hello," he answered.

"Do you have it?" Robin asked. "I'm on my way over to your place to pick it up."

"Robin-

"If this is about to be an apology, save it," he interjected. "Just have my ring when I get there."

Robin arrived five minutes later. "Where is it?"

"Hello to you too," Neal said only to receive another glare from Robin.

"Where is it? There is still time for me to salvage this. The ring Neal," Robin stated.

He sighed. "Emma lost it while working a case. I've been trying to see if she dropped it in the car."

"What?" he said in a voice that signaled he didn't want to be played with.

"Emma lost the ring," he reiterated. Robin clenched a fist. "Look, you can beat the crap out of me later. I am trying to correct my mistake."

"Ok," Robin said after a few moments of silence. "Where did Emma go?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll go ask her." He went back upstairs.

Emma quickly ran back to the couch after seeing Neal leave Robin by the car. She waited for Neal to bust the door open.

"Emma, where did you go when you got the call? I'm going to look for the ring there."

"Um, on the other side of town. The address was 98 Copper Street. I'll go with you. It's my fault this happened," Emma offered.

"No," he practically shouted.

"But Neal-

"No," he said softly yet firm. "Just don't anything." He walked back out.

He saw Robin leaning against the car with his arms folded. "Come on."

Emma went back to the window and saw them leave. She was about to pull out her phone again when she heard Regina from behind.

"It is working better than expected. They're running around like chickens," Regina said amused.

Emma turned around. "I do feel sort of bad for Neal. And I'm sure Robin is pissed."

"Well, he's more worried about me right now. I basically told him I couldn't be with someone who isn't committed to making us official. I ran up the stairs before he could really argue. He's going to do everything he can to prove me wrong," Regina explained.

Emma shook her head. "How long do we keep this up?"

"Not too long. Let's play it by ear," Regina answered.

Robin and Neal looked everywhere for that ring. "It's not here," Neal said.

"I am forming the same conclusion," Robin said. "This is insane."

"You know how about buying another ring," Neal suggested.

Robin snapped his head up. "I didn't want another ring. I wanted the one your supposed fiancé lost," he shot back.

"What else do you want me to do?" Neal asked.

"Tell Emma the truth," Robin said. "I already have Regina upset at me. She thinks I'm this lazy boyfriend because I haven't proposed. So thanks for that."

"Wait, Regina got jealous," Neal said smirking a bit.

"Yeah," Robin answered. "Now I'm paying the price."

"So what are you going to do about tonight?"

"Convince Regina to come with me anyway," Robin said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Robin walked into the house only to be met with silence. It was too quiet for his liking. He headed upstairs to see the bedroom door ajar. "Regina," he said pushing the door wider. He stood there stunned. Regina was packing things in boxes. Specifically, his things were going into them.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She just ignored him continuing to pack his things. "Regina, I asked you a question."

She turned around with puffy eyes. "I told you I wasn't going to wait. One of us is leaving this house and it's you."

He shook his head in frustration. "What about Roland? Are you going to kick him out too?"

"Of course not. It's his father I have a problem with. I wouldn't dare kick that sweet boy out," she said. She turned around and waited for his response.

Robin closed the door. "This is ridiculous. Regina, I have given you no indication that I wasn't committed to us. You got this idea in your head and ran with it. Do you doubt that I love you?"

"No," she said not turning around. She couldn't give in now. "It's doesn't change facts however," she continued.

Robin held the bridge of his nose. "If you really want to know, I was going to take you somewhere special. I was going to propose Regina. Things got screwed up."

She faced him with her arms crossed over her chest. "Don't make up something to worm yourself out of this. I don't buy it. Stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying," he practically shouted. "Just ask-

"Robin," she interrupted. "Your things will be downstairs. I suggest you make yourself comfortable at Granny's." She magicked the rest of his things in boxes and moved them downstairs.

He just stared at her in disbelief. There was no way he was leaving. Instead of arguing with her, he said, "Come with me tonight. I have something planned and there's point in letting those plans go to waste."

"I'm kicking you out and yet you want to continue these so-called plans. At least tell me where we're going," she shot back.

"The gazebo near the stables," he answered. "Be ready at 7." He turned to leave. "I'll be in the guest room. Not at Granny's."

Once the door closed Regina let out a breath. The conversation got more intense than she anticipated. She searched for her phone and texted Emma.

Emma picked up her phone and the text read: _**"****Are you free to talk?"**_

"_**What's the latest?" **_Emma asked.

Regina's text came through. "_**Going to the gazebo near the stables at 7. What do you want to do?"**_

"_**I'll think of something. Follow my lead when we get there."**_

"_**See you at 7."**_

Emma chuckled to herself.

"What's so funny?" Neal asked coming from the kitchen.

"I'm just so happy," Emma answered. "How about you and I do something tonight? Just the two of us."

"Okay," he said slowly. "What did you have in mind?"

"Just a nice dinner. My treat. It's the least I can do. I'll arrange everything," she suggested.

"Really? Emma, that's not necessary," Neal countered.

"Hey, I'm going to be your wife and it's time I start acting like it. So being your wife means I get to take out the man I love. How about 7 o'clock?"

"That's fine. Where are we going?" he wondered.

"It's a surprise. Just dress up," she said. "I better go." She kissed him on the cheek and headed out the door.

That night, Robin waited in the foyer for Regina to come down. He heard heels click against the steps. She was wearing a knee length black dress with six-inch heels. Her hair was flipped at the ends and her make-up was flawless.

"You look beautiful Regina," he said.

"Thank you," she said. "Shall we go now?"

The drive was silent. Regina purposefully avoided making eye contact with him. The stables were coming into her field of vision. She always felt a small pain coming there because of Daniel but chose to focus on all the good memories afterwards. The four of them always had a good time riding horses.

Robin helped her out the vehicle and led her to the gazebo. She was impressed. The table was set with two wine glasses and silver trays. A vase sat in the middle of the arrangement.

"You really outdid yourself," she complimented. He kissed her shoulder.

"I did. I'm going to prove myself to you," he said.

Halfway through the dinner Regina wondered what was taking Emma so long to get there. Whatever she was planning it better be good.

No sooner had she said this, she saw the Blue Fairy walking toward them. What was she doing here? Robin noticed Regina's scowl and looked behind him. His own eyebrows creased in confusion.

They noticed Emma and Neal behind her. Both of them looked utterly clueless to Emma and she just waved.

"Emma, Neal…what are you doing here? And why is Blue here?" Regina asked.

"Emma, what's going on?" Neal questioned.

"This is my surprise to you. It's been a long road for us and I'm so grateful that I have you back in my life. I thought we would make it official tonight. Just us and it just so happens Regina and Robin are here to witness it," Emma said.

"Witness what?" Robin asked. Regina bit back a smirk. She had to admit she would never have thought Emma capable of pulling this off.

"Our wedding. Of course we will have a bigger one but I can't wait any longer. Actually I'm glad you both are here. If it wasn't for you, Robin, I might not have given Neal another chance," she explained. She turned to Neal. "What do you say?"

Neal's mind went blank. An intimate wedding so soon. "Listen Emma-

"Neal…it's not polite to keep your bride waiting," Regina said. "It also explains why Blue is here. I know Henry will be upset he missed this but what better way to surprise him."

"Regina," Robin started wishing she would be quiet especially if Neal was about to spill.

"Oh come on Robin. Who are we to stop this?" Regina inquired. "Now where do we stand?"

Blue told them where to stand and asked Emma and Neal to hold hands. Neal's heart was beating fast. He should have sat her down and exposed everything.

It was time for Emma to say vows. "Neal, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You are the only one that saw me for me. I never knew what love was until I met you. You're my true love. I can't wait to be your wife and start our life together."

She had tears in her eyes and it ate at him. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop. We can't do this. I can't marry you without telling you the truth," Neal said dropping her hands.

"What? What are you talking about?" Emma asked pretending to look shocked.

Neal dropped his head. "The ring wasn't yours. It was Regina's. Robin was supposed to propose and he asked me to hide it. Then you found it and I didn't want to crush your happiness. If I had known you actually wanted to get married I swear I would have proposed sooner."

She looked between Robin and Neal. "What is going on?"

"Yeah, Robin…what is going on?" Regina questioned.

"I told you. I was telling the truth. I was going to propose and it was supposed to be this romantic gesture. When I saw Emma had your ring I didn't know what to do really. So Neal and I tried our best to come clean about everything but things kept going wrong. Regina, all of this was for you."

"Where's the ring then?" Regina asked.

"Emma lost it," Neal said. "I'm sorry. Don't blame Robin for anything. It's all my fault."

They heard Emma laugh. Robin and Neal looked at her bewildered. "This isn't funny," Neal said.

"Actually it is," she said. She looked at Regina who magicked the ring.

"I believe this is what you're looking for," Regina said.

"The ring," Neal said.

"How observant of you," Regina said.

Robin let out a sigh. "How long did you two know?"

"Only a few hours. The jeweler thought Emma was the lucky lady," Regina said.

"So all this…making us panic and running around like chickens with their heads cut off, it was just a game to you and Emma," Robin said getting annoyed.

"It was harmless fun," Emma said.

"Fun? I nearly got kicked out of the house. I've bent over backwards to make sure this night was perfect," he told Emma. "Do you have any idea how hard this has been?"

"I sure do," Neal interjected. "Look, you've had your fun. Now we can put this behind us."

"I don't know," Emma said. "I kind of like making you suffer."

"Funny. Real funny," Neal muttered. He looked to Robin. "At least you have your ring." Robin glared at him.

"We'll be going," Emma said. Emma finally looked over to Blue. "Thanks Blue for helping."

"She was in on it too," Neal said.

"Just this part," Emma said.

"I'm going to get you back," Neal muttered. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Regina, it's been fun," Emma said.

"Yes it has," she said as she watched them go.

She looked at Robin who had an unreadable expression on his face. "This was all your idea, wasn't it?"

"Yes," she admitted. He narrowed his eyes and walked away from her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Robin sat in Granny's staring at the mug in his hands. He was still furious at Regina and Emma's stunt. He felt like a fool for not seeing through Regina's charade. He should know better than anyone how Regina operates. The minute she started going on about jealousy should have been an enormous red flag.

"Where's your better half?" Granny asked pouring more coffee into Robin's mug.

He snapped his head at the question. "Regina is at the office," he answered coolly. "Busy day for her."

Granny picked up on his agitated tone. "Trouble in paradise?"

Robin arched his eyebrow. "Don't you have other customers to serve?" he snapped.

"Yep. Regina has certainly rubbed off on you," Granny stated. "Excuse me then." She walked away from the table.

Robin felt some remorse for his behavior. He started to call Granny back over to apologize when the chime from the door got his attention. Neal walked through searching all the faces before landing on Robin's. He made a beeline for him and sat across from him.

"Hey," he greeted. Neal looked agitated to say the least.

"Hey yourself," Robin said. "You look like you need coffee more than I do."

"I need something stronger," he muttered. "I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around it all. Emma being a willing participant in this. I expect Regina to do this…no offense," Neal continued.

"None taken," Robin said. "Regina wouldn't be Regina if she didn't come up with some plan."

They stayed in silence for a few moments before Neal spoke again. "So I take it things at home are pretty tense."

"You can say that," Robin replied. "What about you and Emma?"

"Same. I'm a little mad. To step up a fake wedding just to rub my mistake in my face…that's just insane. I bought her tears," he said. "We're not exactly speaking to each other this morning."

Robin nodded his head in understanding. Robin's phone buzzed and it was Regina. "Speaking of Regina," he said holding up his phone to Neal. He hit the ignore button and dropped the phone on the table.

Regina stood in her office looking out the window after Robin rejected her call. He left without saying anything to her. They even slept in different rooms the previous night. She decided to call back and it went straight to voicemail.

"Robin, it's me. We need to talk. I'm sorry for what I did. Just call me back so we can resolve this. I love you," she said and hung up.

The doors opened and she thought it was him. Instead she was met by Emma. "Emma," she said.

"Hello. I see you are in the same boat I am," she guessed.

"And what boat is that?" Regina asked.

"Robin not talking to you. Neal is pretty pissed at me," she related. "I guess the whole wedding thing was a bit much."

"Perhaps but it was clever," Regina responded. "Although I would have liked it if Blue wasn't there."

"Who else would I have used? My mother? Tink?" Emma questioned.

"You have a point," Regina said and sat in her chair.

Emma sat in front of her. "I guess I have you to thank for this mess but I have my own part to account for. I didn't think they would react this way."

Regina tilted her head. "I didn't either. So what do we do now?"

"Beg for forgiveness," Emma said. "Where do you think they are now?"

Regina looked at her watch. "Granny's."

"Ok. If we leave now, we can catch them," Emma said.

Regina crossed her arms. "What exactly are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet. Trust me, this plan won't be as out there as my last one," Emma reassured.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Regina and Emma walked into The Rabbit Hole much to Regina's chagrin. "I can't believe you talked me into coming here," Regina muttered.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Do you want to get back in Robin's good graces?"

Regina nodded yes and Emma signaled that their men were sitting at a table. They walked over and they could tell the men were still upset. They sat down anyway taking off their jackets.

"Thanks for meeting us here," Emma said.

"Why are we here Emma?" Neal questioned. "Make us look like fools."

Emma's eyes softened. "Of course not. We wanted to apologize. We know we took things too far and we're really sorry."

Robin turned his attention to Regina. "And you?"

"I'm really sorry. It was stupid and I promise never to do anything like that again," she answered.

Robin was about to say something when they heard someone speak into the microphone on stage. All four turned around.

"Hello everybody. Thanks for coming out tonight. You all know what tonight is," the host said. Cheers and roars erupted amongst the people.

"What is so special about tonight?" Neal questioned.

"Karaoke night," Emma answered.

Neal's eyes widened. "Oh no. I'm not getting up there."

"You don't have to," Regina said. "I do."

Robin's eyes quickly met hers with a questioning gaze. She only smiled.

"Who wants to go first? Show us what you got," they heard. Regina stood up and immediately all eyes fell on her. She wanted to flinch due to the sudden movement. She started walking vaguely hearing Robin call after her.

"Let her go Robin," Emma said.

Regina walked up to the mic scanning the audience. Half the people had smirks on their faces others had blank stares. Her eyes found Emma's who gave her an encouraging smile.

"You can do this," Regina thought. "I would like to dedicate this song to a very special man in my life. The song is called Like You Do," Regina said.

Robin turned to Emma. "You put her up to this," he said in admiration.

"You can thank me later," Emma said.

The music started playing. Regina took a deep breath and started to sing.

_It's getting time to go_

_About to hit the road_

_I can't leave town before I say_

_No one quiets a room like you do_

_No one hums a tune like you do_

_No one leaves too soon like you do_

_Like you do_

_Just another week_

_I'm tossing and I'm turning in my sleep_

_Did you know, you make me feel this way_

_No one makes me crazy like you do_

_No one makes mistakes like you do_

_No one fixes breaks like you do _

_Like you do_

Regina looked at Robin who had unshed tears in his eyes. She gave a soft smile hoping by the end of this song, things would be right between them.

_No one keeps it real like you do_

_No one gives me chills like you do_

_No makes me feel like you_

_No one makes me feel like you_

_No one makes me feel like you do_

_Like you do _

After the song was over applause erupted and Regina let out a little laugh. She expected the room to be silent. She heard Emma let out a yell and shout "Go Regina!"

Robin and Neal joined in and now Regina was getting embarrassed. She quickly walked off stage and headed back to the table.

"That was amazing," Robin said standing up. He picked her up and spun her around once.

"So am I forgiven?" she asked as he put her down.

"Yes mi'lady. Any woman who would sing to me deserves forgiveness," he replied. She rolled her eyes playfully.

"So what are you going to sing?" Neal asked.

Regina crossed her arms. "Yeah. It's only fair."

Emma looked at her watch. "Neal and I have to go. It's getting late."

"No we don't," Neal said.

"Yes we do," Emma said glaring at him. Neal tilted his head in semi-amusement.

"Fine," he said getting up from the table. "One of these days I'm going to get my song."

Robin and Regina watched them go. "It appears you have been hiding a certain talent from me," Robin teased.

"Well, it's been a while. I didn't think I could really do it," Regina explained. He kissed the side of her head.

"You were wonderful. Now, shall we go home?"

She nodded her head and they left the bar.

Meanwhile, Emma and Neal were sitting on the couch in silence. Emma decided to break it first. "Neal-

"You know what hurts the most…the vows you said to me. I believed you when you said them. I…that's not something you should play with," he said.

Emma downcast her eyes. "The wedding was extreme. I was so mad and once I let Regina talk me into this plan, I ran with it. I hurt you more and that was never my intention. Neal, I promise never to pull a stunt like that again."

Neal lifted her head back up. "You drive me crazy you know that but you are the only one I want to be with. I forgive you." He kissed her forehead and she leaned against his chest.

"Do you really want to get married one day?" Emma asked.

"I do but when I propose there won't be any mishaps," Neal said chuckling. "And I'm not asking Robin to hold the ring."

Regina guided Robin into the dining room warning him to keep his eyes covered. "Regina, what are you up to now?" he asked.

"Just sit," she instructed. "Open your eyes."

In front of him was a silver tray. He looked at her with curious eyes. She signaled him to lift up the lid and on it was a ring box.

"Regina-

"Marry me," she interrupted. He blinked several times before being able to gather his thoughts.

"When-

"This afternoon with Emma. I owe it to you to make this right and I'm proposing. Am I going to get an answer?"

"Me turning down the opportunity to be Mr. Regina Mills, I think not," he joked. He grew serious. "I would love to be your husband but only if you want to be my wife now and forever."

"I think I can handle that," she said leaning closer to him.

"Good because I wasn't going to let you turn me down. Not after the trouble you put me through," he said cupping her face.

She laughed. "A queen cannot be tamed by a mere archer."

He arched an eyebrow. "Then this mere archer withdraws his proposal."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she said now sitting on his lap. "You will do no such thing. You're stuck with me."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said.

**Author's Note:** That's the end of the story. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed. It means the world to me. The song I used is "Like You Do" by Danni Rosner.


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